Signature-gathering machine.



G. A. JUENGST. SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION nun r1112. 10, 1911.

1,023,568 Patented Apr. 16, 1912;

2 SHEETG-SHEET 1 G A. JUENGST.

SIGNATURE GATHERING MACHINE.

APPMUATION FILED FEB 10, 1911 1,023,568. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 BHEETS SHBBT 2.

CHARLES A. .ronnos'r, or CROTON rAL'nsfiNnw YonK. H

SIGNATURE-GATHERING MACHINE 1 mm nan Specification Letters latent. Pa'tented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed February 10, 1911 Serial No. 607,829.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Juiznosr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Croton Falls, in the county of \Vestehester 5 and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Signature-Gathering Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machine for gathering or collating signa' tures or sheets previous to connecting the same together as a magazine or book.

Heretofore in this art; devices have been employed which were automatically brought into operation when any gripper failed to take a signature or sheet or took more than one, but such devices stopped the whole machine and made it ecessary ti start the entire machine again when the cause for the irre 'ularitv had been overcome.

T 1e object of my invention is to obviate this difiiculty, waste of time and power. by the employment of devices in a signature gathering machine wherein when a gripper fails to take a signature or sheet, or takes more than one, the signature conveyor or conveyor chain is stopped and the consequent feed of signatures or sheets arrested and the grippers opened. In this condition 30 the grippers with their supporting and actua ting devices swing idly without performing any function and the remaining parts of: the machine being unatfected by the stoppage f the signature (-onvcyer or chain c ntinue their movements.

My invention relates to and is an improvement upon the devices shown and described in Letters Patent #731221 of June I .190 3,grantodtoReinhardhand #875,3Sl of December Ill. 1907, granted to Smith.

in the device of my invention I employ,

receptacles for the piles of signatures or sheet means including suitable grippers for taking Htltl] signatures or shot-ts one at a tim t'r ni said receptacles and depositing them up n an endles convevel' traveling through :1 receptacle common to all the sigtnitnrw r heets. means in series for actuatin; the endless convover and the grippers and means for arresting the movement of the wnvcycr and causing an open position of th gripp rs at oncclhnt the grippers or any one of them fall to take a ignature or sheet or tnltc more han one-of the same.

The \prcial that urcs of my invcntion com and its chain are upon a driven shaft which aetuates the conveyer and the gripper de vices. A notched hub is also u on said shaft and secured thereto.- A paw pivoted 'to the loose sprocket and carrying-a trip is designed to be engaged by the latch-arm aforesaid in order to effect the operative separation of the sprocket and chain actuating the conveyor from the driven and drivin shaft, alLof which is hereinafter more fu ly set forth. i

In the drawings Figure, 1 ,is=a.s'ide elevation and section of the essential parts in 'the signature-gathering machine and in which are shown the features of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a section and end elevationaof. the shaft, sprocket and other devices .at the lower part of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation and partial section similar to Fig.1; but with the parts in the opposite positioniantt in the position which they will assumenvhen the grippershave been thrown open after failing to take a sheet or after taking more than one signafiure or sheet. Fig. i ls-an elevation and section similar to Fig 2. with the parts in their disengaged position, and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan showing the de tector arms and the relation that they bear to the rocker arm and to its finger. the path of which is backward and forward irLa ver tical lane as hereinafter more fullyldescribe A suitable frame or end frame is shown at a. the lower art of which forms a support for'the shaft 1) which may be the power shaft or may be driven by a power shaft not shown, through intermediatetmeans.

r.- represents one of a series of signature holding boxes which as are usually made is provided with a swinging flap member by which a signature or sheet at a time is presented to the grippers. V i

(Z represents the signattire-receiving trough which is common to all the signatures or shcets, and d a si nature or sheet conveyor running through t e center of the trough (i and preferably in a recess especially provided therefor below the level rtfthe signatures or sheetsso: as'to he sl'ibstaiiiitia lly 'ont tree of contact therewith; thesaitlco ing provided as usual with raised fingers or members d for moving the signatures or sheets along through the trough d.

There are several frames a in the machine according to the length of the signature gatherin machine; that is to say, one at each en and one or more intermediate end of this ripper arm 8 is a gripper e which is fixer, or in other words, rigid with the arm e. On the shaft- 6 there is an eccentric 2 and an arm 3 formed with said eccen trio, and connected pivotally to the upper end of the arni 3 is a crank 4 one end of which is secured to the shaft a and with the rotation of the shaft 1) the ecoentric'il, the arm 3 and the crank 4 are actuated to oscillate the shaft (1 and swing the gripper arm e, the gripper e and the parts connected therewith and actuated thereby, from the position Fig. 1 to the rearward position Fig. 3 in the arc of a circle whose center is the center of the shaft a. In the frames a there are also shafts 5 6 and 7 which run lengthwise of the machine and connected with which are series of devices hereinafter described.

A bar f provided with hub ends is mounted between the shafts 5 6. Connected to the bar f is a bracket f and connected to the hub of the bar f is a bracket f and these brackets are provided with adjustable stop pins 1' f. An indicator arm 9 is pivotally connected to the barf by a pivot pin 8 and a detector arm I: is a prolongation of the arm 9 extending downwardly below the same pivot. There is another detector arm 2' connected by a pivot 9 to the bar 1 and the detector arms I: and 2' bear a parallel relation to one another. In fact the detector arm h is provided with a plate 10 and guide pins thereon which come at'opposite sides of the detector arm 2' and establish the parallel relation of th n arms h and i to one another. On the lower ends of the arms hand i there are nuts )1 and e and on the nuts fingers 7L and 1'". Figs. 1 and 5 show quite clearly the relation of these arms, nuts and fingers to one another. There is a screw pin 11 on the bar f and another screw pin on the right hand end of the arm g and :1 helical spring 12 is stretched between these ins and it serves in function to assist in oldin the parts in their relation to one another in the extremes of their movement as ill-Figs. 1 and 3.

lcfiis a gripper arm with a gripper [U1 pivotally connepted to the lower end of the gripper arm 0 and the grippers c and I." are adapted to come togcthcr us two fingers in taking a signature or shcct from the holding box 0 so as to deposit the some with. the movement of the :ncr-hunism into the rccelving trough I].

Z l" are togglohais; the bar Z or its upper end connected by a pivot 13 to the upper end of the grippcr :nm I and the bar 2' at its lower endrcnnwtcd by a pivot pin it to thc gripper arm The togglebur l is provided with :1 vstriking l'ucc 15 adapted to come against thc end of the stop pin f and it is also provided with a hook lulow this striking face. to which connected one cudoi helical spring it the lovvcl' end of tho spring 113 being pivotally conncctcd to tho rear or right hand end of the gripper arm so that this helical spring is respectively connected or hooked to the togglehar and the gripper arm. 7

m rcprcscnts a rocker arm pivotally connected at. 17 to the gripper arm a, and 0 0 v are parts of an adjusting bur. the respective ends of which air pivot-ally conncr'tcd to the rocker :n'm 11b and the gripper arm L. that ing bar which are pivoted to said parts, and o is the center member, the rotation of which draws the parts o and u nearer together or forces them further apart. A helical spring 18 is at its upper end pivotally connected to the rocker arm m and at its lower end to :1 pivot pin connecting the gripper arm Z; to the lower end of the gripper arm 0 so that the contractile tendency of the spring 18 and the adjnstcd position of the parts 0 0 0 nmintuin a definite rcln tion under tcnsion between the rocker arm m and the gripper Ir. From the right hand free end of the rocker arm in. extends a de: tector finger in. and this is shown in Fig. 5 in its relation to the detector lJitl'H 7a 2'. lllltl the fingers h" and 2" carried thereby.

The control levcr in its respective parts is shown at 1* 1-. The same with the hub thercot is mounted on the shaft 7 and a hub also upon the shaft T is provided with a crank arm 2*. The tree end r of the control levcr is provided with on :uliustuble stop pin 1' and passing freely through thc grippcr arme there is :v sliding pin 2. llrtcndlug downward from the crank arm 1' is a connecting rod It): at its lower end it. is loosely sccurcd by a pin to a crank 21 which crank is connected to a shaft 20. Only a single crank-arm r from the shaft 7 and :1 single connecting rod 19 is needed with it bank or plurality of gripper devices, all the other devices lacing duplicated for each hopper, ()n this shaft C0 there is a latch arm 23 adapted when depressed to cn gage a trip 24 which i preferably formed integral with :1 pawi 25; the trip and pawl being connected by a pivot pin 26 to a is to say. u and o are the ends of this adjust-- sprocket a and the sprocket s in turn loosely. mounted on a. sh aft. i between a collar.

8 pinned to the shaft n and a hub t also connected to the shaft in and the shaft 1) in turn provided with suitable bearings .37 and 28. This: shaft 2: is provided with a bevel gear 29 and the shaft I) with a meshing bevel gear 30 so that the power and the rotation of. the shaft 5 is communicated by the bevel gears 29 and 30 to the shaft v.

The hub 1 is provided with a notch which in the normal and operative position of the parts is engaged by the pawl 25; the arrow in Fig. 2 representing the direction of rotation, consequently the rotation of the shaft n through this pawl 25 turns the sprocket a and more: along the conveyr chain (Z with the same, thus progressing the signatures or shee s through the receiving trough d.

The adjusting parts 0 0 and o of the bars are employed to regulate the gripping pox kiwi of the grippers c and 1.. according to fin: thickness of the eignatm'c or the sheet mil from the :wignutlnc 1 .ldine: art and in connection wit i ppcrs rtnplujuil, it may' be H :2 3 let s m of the grippers iron: others. or: books or maga- Milne? oi ii n have sheeta interposed between the signaiurea and each gripper is adjusted U) take the signature or sheet {Hill the pile natures or sheets in the box adjacent.

fli

i operation. of the device and referto Figs. 1. Mid. 3 the gripi w owiulod to and sun- :ilnii in o Ii 6 and T are c. n the position in which the 't' sped. and in the lit 1 the sheet is dew m'e irr l'lfi'ffll'liL-hg and it rained thin as tho-r partaswing luck and forth from the pw-itirn Fig. i, that r editing; are i of the ogglebar no? iifliillfit the pin f and the toggle nightrmrd: the loose pin (1 being re anon the stop i is moved through the ripper mm the toggle-la: etraighten. whaling of the to lebars opens ;lio g lpl tfl r applies increased tension to li ring it; and swings the rocker arm in mm the position Fig. 1 into the position that. with the backward movement i the parts the detector finger in is raised it of the path of the fingers ii. so that .w name does not come in contact with said in the arms and gripper devices go for- :ml to engage another signature or sheet, l ir liding pin F3 comes against the stop r ml the pin is puehed through the gripper lli w acting againet the trggle-bars Z Z and tllifi'rllfi the same to the position Fig. 1 n. so bringing the ipgiers together to 1 ilna. signature or sheet; the grippers being held together by the tension of the spring 16 and the operations described being re peated with every hack and forth swinging movement. So long as the swinging parts perform their proper functions and raise the detector finger ml out of the path of either the finger k or the finger '27 the indicator arm 9 and the detector arms h and i remain stationary in the position shown in Fig. 1; the swinging parts passing back and forth past the same, and the detector arm b remaining in an inactive condition resting against the stop pin f with a bracket 1'.

Should the rippers fail to take a signature or sheet, they will on the forward move ment come together and this will immediately change the relation of the gripper arm It" and rocker arm m with its detector finger m, so that the detector finger will be dropped with reference to the position Fig. l and then when the parts swing backward this detector finger m will be brou ht directly into the path of the finger and contacting therewith will move the detector arms 11 and '2' and swing the indicator arm y so that it will strike the upper end of the control lever 7' swinging the same with its lower end i" into the position shown in Fig. 3; simultaneously turning the crank arm r moving downward the connecting rod 19 and consequently swinging the latch arm 23 down into the path of the-trip 24; the grippers in their backward movement being :pened hereinbefore described. This action will. therefore as'the sprocket .9 comes around, move the pawl 25 out. of its notch in tlie'hub t and the sprocket. and chain being thus freed from operative relation with the shaft r, the movement will be arrested. In this connection it will be noticed that the stop pin r will be moved outbf the path of the sliding pin consequently when the grippers come forward there. will be no mechanism to close them and they will swing backward and forward in an inoperative condition. The same operation is per formed by the arts if more than one signr ture or sheet e taken by the gripper. as then the grippers will be forced open beyond their adjusted position for a m r signature or sheet. and the relation of the gripper arm is and rocker arm in will he changed so that the detector finger m will be elevated. In the elevated position it will strike upon the finger 2' instead of passing between the fingers i and 72 as in the normal condition and it will then act upon the detector arm 2' directly and efi'ect the movement, of the detector arm h and with it the Indicator arm 5 which then strikes and swings the control lever r'r, crank arm r and rod 19 operating the crank 21, arm 23 and the trip and pawl. engaged-thereby as hereinbefore described and thereby stop the sprocket s and its conveyer chain d and rctit) "W'ii'i fails to take a lease the same so that in either event the conveyor chain and the movement ofthe signatures or sheets is arrested.

Whclhcr one or more than one gripper designature or sheet or takes more than one signature or sheet, such condition will at once be visually apparent by the position of the indicator arm I] and control lever r a between the normal position Fig. l or the shifted position Fig. 3 so that the attendant examining the pile or piles at the place or places indicated, can make the correction if there are too many Hlglllltlll'tfr or sheets, or supply the deficient if there are not enough. At once the correction has been made, the lever r and arm 1 in the position Fig. 2%, are manually returned to the position Fig. 1, when the machine starts automatically to repeat its regular motions.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a signature gathering machine and in combination, grippers for taking the signutulcs or sheet a conveycr onto which the signatures or sheets are delivered, means for moving the conveyor, means for arresting the movement of the conveyer whenever an ahuornnil position of the grippers occurs, and means for preventing the grippers closing and becoming operative until after the conveyor is again in motion.

:2. The combination in a signature gathering machine with a receptacle for signatures or sheets, grippers and gripper n-tnating' dcviccs for removinp the signatures or sheets, a trough receiving the signatures or shrcts from the grippers and a conveyor moving through the same. of devices controlled by the thickness of the material taken by the grippers. and other devices actuated by the aforesaid devices for disconnecting the conveyor, whereby the movement of the convovcr is arrested.

3. The combination in a signature gatl1ering machine with receptacles for the signatnrcs or sheets, grippers and gripper operating devices for removin,g the signatures or sheet a trough receiving the signatures or sheets and an endless conveyer moving through the trough. of a shaft and means for rotating the same, a driving sprocket for the endless conveyor mounted loosely upon said shaft, means for connecting said sprocket with said shaft for turning the sprocket, de vices actuated by the gripper operating de vices whenever an abnormal position of the grippers occurs and which devices are thereby shifted from an inoperative to an operative position and means associated with the endless conveyor coupling devices and-into the path of movement of which a member of l l l i i devices are lilll. HM out in r ing machine, of grip n rs, adaptcil to no at for engaging a $11], sigzniture or shut:

gripper supporting 1: devices operatively r. tcr devices which remain inactive so long as the grippers take the single signature or sheet for which they are set and w hich latter operative when the grippers fail when an ahnormal position of the grippers occurs, a shaft and a control'levcr operated Irv the movement of the latter devices, a shaft, a latch arm connected with ma 5 a crank arm on said shaft and a conncc rod and crank arm extending to th shaft the control lever, an endless nvow'r loose sprocket around which the "illlit 2&1; tends and a shaft to which said HlH'HI ket t connected. at huh on the latter shaft and ope ating (lei i iatrd with the lab til pawl and trip device pivoted to the iUOFu.

sprocket and engaging the huh for the progressive movement, of the endless come and which trip is so positioned as to he an the path of the pawl on the aforesaid shat! when the same is lowered from the nornud position. whereby the trip pawl is discn Ward and the sprocket with its endless con- \o vcr is disconnected from the power shaft.

5. The combination in a signature gatheriug machine, of a control lever, a sha ft on which the Same is mounted, a crank arm connected to the control lever and a connecting rod extending from the crank arm. a crank connected to the opposite end of the connecting rod, a shaft on which this crank is mounted, a latch arm alsocomnctcd to the said shaft, a power shaft, a sprocket loose on said shaft, an endless convcvcr passing around said sprocket; and upcrntrd hr the power shaft, a pawl and trip device pivotally connected to said sprockeha huh fiXcd upon said power shaft and provided with a notch for the pawl of the trip device, the trip device hein r in the path of the aforesaid latch arm so t at when the latch arm is dropped by the movenu'nt of the control lever, the pawl and trip device are swung on the pivot thereof by engagement with the latch arm, the sprocket and conveyor chain being thug released so that their movement is arrested.

Signed hy mc this 31st day of January.

CHAS. A. JLLENGS' "itncsses:

Anrnt n ll. Snnnnnn, l). ZxcirnnAsnN. 

